It’s crazy but this is the first big thing I’ve made for myself in the three years I’ve been knitting. And I’m so proud of it too. It’s not the first thing I’ve made for myself, I’ve done hats, gloves, socks, but I did more things for my kids. And this didn’t actually take too long. The stitch pattern with eyelet lace and cables also kept me amused and the fact it’s a vest means it finishes very quickly. I probably could have done it in two weeks if I hadn’t got distracted by socks.

No makeup, early morning photo.

I used Stylecraft Merry Go Round which I got when I was last on holiday in the UK, around June. I loved the colours, but wasn’t keen on using a 100% acrylic yarn, I’m not that impressed by them, I prefer wool…. But the colours! And it was cheap. I can’t remember how much I paid exactly, I think it was £3 a ball, you can get it here from Deramores for £3.50, which is a great price for something so soft! You get nearly 300m for a 100g ball, and I used just over one for this vest.

And the thing I’ve noticed about this rainbow colour, my shade was actually called rainbow, it goes with nearly every skin tone and with most things, jeans, denim skirts, white shirts, black trousers. It works!

And the pattern is the Heliopath Vest from the Harry Potter Knits that was published in 2013. This is a link to the Ravelry page for more information about the pattern.

A photo of me wearing this with a yellow vest top and a mini skirt. Not bad with the vest top…

When it gets to winter I really want to try this over some V necked long sleeved tops, it looks great over shirt collars though.

A nice photo of it laid flat

I wish there was some shaping around the waist, I’ve got a nice silloutte so personally I’m wanting it. I also changed the order of picking up the stitches, doing the button band before the neckband and I love the way it looks! I think the changing colours really add something special to this pattern.

And the buttons

And the buttons. Nothing special, no idea when or where they came from. I stole them from my mother’s button box, there were only six and THANKFULLY this only had six button holes. I had to go right through my box of stolen buttons to find some. I thought purple would look nice. I used blue threat as well too.

So you may remember that post I did about my yarn haul. Well the thing I was most excited to start was this jumper, which is still sitting unfinished in my cupboard. I know. I hate sewing up, it’s my main problem with knitting and every flat project is the same.

Before I used to live with my mum, and she used to darn my ends and sew my things up and I loved her for it. Well now she’s on the other side of the English Channel, and I’m kinda stuffed because now I have to sew up alone.

I did take jumper to her the last time I visited, she darned in the ends of the rocket pattern and complimented my choice of wool.

As you can see the instrata rocket would have had plenty of ends….

So all I actually have to do is sew on the buttons and sew part of the sleeves and the body, I just hate doing it so I keep forgetting.

However I did finish the twin for this sock, and I mean really finish, ends sewn in and everything! Knitting in the round is so much easier. Far less problematic! They’re going to be one of my mother’s birthday presents.

And I’ve started a shawl like scarf thing. I’m improvising a pattern from Knit Now to make it more like a scarf. I’m just using some acrylic I got from my birthday trip to the UK. It’s knitting quickly and in the three days since I started I’ve had so many compliments on the colours.

Otherwise the only new thing is that have glasses because my long distance vision is giving up. They’ve been kinda fun, and so useful when I’m out. Before I had trouble reading signs in the metro. Now everything is HD!